Tuesday Genealogy Travels

Several years ago, Mary Mettler wrote a series of blogs, "Tuesday Tales on the Road." She is back on the road, this time in England with her niece, Bonnie. Below is her first blog.

A Genealogical Adventure in England
by Mary Mettler 

Admiral at Sea Robert Blake at Royal Naval College, Greenwich

My niece Bonnie and I are about to begin a trek to some of the towns of our Puritan ancestors in Southern England. First, we are visiting my grandniece Brett and her husband Alex in London. Along with sightseeing and lots of good eating, we are paying homage to our second cousin many times removed, Admiral-at-Sea Robert Blake (1599-1657). He is one of the most famous commanders in British Naval history. His plaque in St. Margaret's Church describes him as "Chief Founder of England Naval Supremacy." Blake was born in Bridgwater, Somerset, England in 1599, attended Oxford, and was elected to Parliament. At the beginning of the English Civil War in 1642, he volunteered his services to the Parliamentarians. With military successes and a dash or two of bravado, he became a hero to the Roundheads. My family loves his declaration at the Battle of Taunton in 1645 where he said he had four pairs of boots and would eat three of them before he would surrender Taunton! Fortunately for his digestive system, Taunton held.

His time in the Navy was his crowning glory. Made General-at-Sea in 1649, he played major roles in the Anglo-Dutch War of 1652-54 and the Anglo-Spanish War of 1656-57. His fleet totally destroyed the Spanish silver fleet in the Canary Islands in 1657 without the loss of a single English ship! Returning to England in failing health from old wounds, Blake died as his ship, George, neared the port of Plymouth. He was buried in Westminster Abbey but was not to be left in peace. With the Restoration, Charles II ordered Blake and other prominent Parliamentarians "ejected" from Westminster in 1661 and reburied in a common grave in the adjacent St. Margaret's Church graveyard. We visited the Church to see the stained glass window depicting scenes of his life and several plaques on the inside and outside of the Church. Combined with other sightseeing, we took a boat ride to the Royal Naval College at Greenwich to see his carved bust among the famous Naval heroes on the facade of the building. The history of St. Margaret's is fascinating, as are the many accomplishments of Admiral-at-Sea Robert Blake. 

We will revisit the Blake family when we visit Somerset toward the end of our trip. Now, it's time for another great eating experience!

Plaque at St. Margaret's Church

Blake Stained Glass Window

St. Margaret's Church

 
If you would like to share stories of your own genealogical adventure, please contact Linda Okazaki.

               Copyright © 2015 by California Genealogical Society and Library

Japanese American Discussion Session

The California Genealogical Society will continue to host a series of ethnic discussion groups that are free and open to the public.  

Maruko Okazaki, ca. 1937, Santa Maria, California

On Thursday July 23, 2015 from 6:30-7:30 pm, CGS President Linda Okazaki will lead an informal discussion on Nikkei Genealogy. This session is free and open to the public. Please rsvp on Eventbrite. Feel free to come early, bring your dinner and meet other researchers. The library is free for those who arrive after 4pm.

Here's a brief description of the session:

Searching for your Japanese roots can be challenging but not impossible. Getting started is no different than researching any other ethnic group. Begin with yourself and work backwards, collecting birth, marriage and death records. Then venture into census, land and immigration records. For Nikkei, internment camp records and A-files are critical. All of these documents can give you clues needed to get your records in Japan.

In addition to our free discussion session, Linda will repeat the seminar "Finding Your Japanese Roots: In the U.S. and in Japan" at CGS on August 29 from 12:00-3:00 pm. Come learn how to document your unique family history! Registration is already open. This seminar has a $30 fee for non-members, which may be applied to a membership on the day of the class.

         

            Copyright © 2015 by California Genealogical Society and Library

Meet the Speaker: Marvin Shepherd

  

Writing Non-Fiction: An Informal Discussion 

Marvin Shepherd 

Thursday July 16

6:30-7:30

California Genealogical Society

2201 Broadway, LL2

Oakland, California 94612

Names. Dates. Facts. You’ve done the research, organized the data, and reviewed your sources. Now what? Do you ever wonder how to take all that data and write something your family will want to read? Do you wonder how to combine facts with legends in order to create an interesting article?

Meet CGS member and author, Marvin Shepherd. A retired investigative engineer, Marv is the author of 3 books for engineers and more than two hundred technical articles. During a career that spanned more than fifty years, Marv developed his writing and research skills while investigating accidents.

After his retirement in 2008, Marv started looking into the lives of interesting people and the legends surrounding those personalities. As a boy, he worked in the garden of a Eureka woman where he heard tales about her father, a Danish sea Captain. Marv discovered that the sea Captain “arrived in San Francisco on a whaling ship, just at the time that gold was discovered in 1849. Slightly later, 1850, he located the entrance to Humboldt Bay, California, settled there and became quite wealthy as a bar captain, lumberman, and rancher in Eureka.” Marv put his investigative skills to work and wrote a biography called The Sea Captain’sOdyssey. He published a second non-fiction book in 2014, A Scottish Syndicate in the Redwoods. This tale of fraud in Humboldt County was based on information he discovered while researching the sea Captain.

Marvin Shepherd will lead a casual and informative group discussion about writing non-fiction on Thursday July 16 from 6:30-7:30 pm. He will discuss how to approach the writing of non-fiction books, techniques he used, suggestions for finding facts, and looking at some unusual sources. Of course, there will be plenty of time for Q&A.

This discussion group is free and open to the public. Please RSVP at Eventbrite. The library will be open from 10:00 am until 8:00 pm. Feel free to come early and do some research, or bring a bagged dinner before the discussion and meet other genealogists.

            Copyright © 2015 by California Genealogical Society and Library

Wordless Wednesday: Jamboree 2015

   SCGS Jamboree 2015

 


          Copyright © 2015 by California Genealogical Society and Library

Meet the Speaker: Gena Philibert Ortega

     

Saturday July 18 1:00-3:00 California Genealogical Society Library 2201 Broadway, Suite LL2 Oakland, California 94612
The California Genealogical Society is pleased to welcome back genealogist, blogger and author, Gena Philibert Ortega. If you haven’t met her yet, you are in for a real treat. On July 18, Gena will present Her Name Wasn't Unknown: Researching Your Female Ancestor's Life. Female ancestors can be more difficult to document using traditional genealogical methodology. Successful research includes a social historical approach. Gena will use case studies to teach you different ways of looking for your female ancestors.

To learn more about Gena and her interest in women’s history, take a peek at one of her two blogs. In Gena’s Genealogy, her tagline is “Where Every Day is Dedicated to Women’s History/Genealogy”. Her other blog, Food. Family. Ephemera.: Revealing the food history behind our family history is equally interesting.

Gena Philibert-Ortega holds a Master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (Psychology and Women’s Studies) and a Master’s degree in Religion. Presenting on various subjects involving genealogy, women’s studies and social history, Gena has spoken to groups throughout the United States and Canada as well as virtually to audiences worldwide. Gena is the author of hundreds of articles published in genealogy newsletters and magazines including FGS Forum, APG Quarterly, Internet Genealogy, Family Chronicle and Family Tree Magazine. Gena was a researcher for the first season of the PBS series Genealogy Roadshow (2013). Gena is the editor of the Utah Genealogical Association’s journal Crossroads. She is past president for the Southern California Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists and is a board member of the Temecula Valley Genealogical Society. Her current research interests include women’s social history and researching women’s lives using material artifacts. 

Please visit our Eventbrite page to register for this class. Seats are limited.

            Copyright © 2015 by California Genealogical Society and Library

Before Facebook...Locating Californians in City Directories

by Dr. Henry Snyder           

Come see our expanded collection of California Directories

City directories are an invaluable source for genealogists. They fill in gaps between censuses. Even more important, they extend the period for which residence information is available since the federal census is only available through 1940. CGS has had several hundred city directories for California in its collection for some years. We have exceptionally strong runs for San Francisco and Oakland-Alameda-Berkeley. Elsewhere our holdings are quite spotty. Now in an exceptionally generous donation, Dr. Stephen Harris, our former president, has given us his complete set of California directories. When combined with our collection the total number of unduplicated volumes comes to 963! They are shelved altogether, alphabetically by city, in new shelving acquired specifically to house them and installed in the Sherman Room.

Most of the directories were published by the C K Polk Company who began publishing directories over 140 years ago. A 1916 directory lists 58 areas in California—some cities, some counties—for which Polk published directories; we have at least one directory for 52 of the areas. The number varies from 98 directories for San Francisco to many single directories for some localities. Among the best represented are Bakersfield (42), Chico (16), Eureka (21) Fresno (46), Long Beach (17), Los Angeles (40), plus suburban areas, Merced/Madera (15), Modesto (32), Napa (34), Oakland-Alameda-Berkeley (43), Palo Alto (22), Pasadena (16), Richmond (18), Sacramento (61) and Suburban Sacramento (18), San Diego (27) and Suburban San Diego (6), San Francisco (98), San Jose (58), San Mateo (17), Santa Barbara (20), Santa Rosa (23) and Stockton (17).

A number of cities and counties in California and elsewhere in the United States have collections of directories for their own town. So far as we are aware, there is only one other substantial collection of California city directories and that is at the Bancroft Library of the University of California at Berkeley, where they are stored off-site and where they must be paged individually, volume by volume. Our collection, then, is a unique resource: Readers can go directly to the shelves and utilize any or all volumes they wish to consult.

But this is not all. Dr. Harris also donated his substantial collection of California telephone directories. These telephone directories fill in gaps in the city directories both place-wise and date-wise. What this means is that for most cities of any size in the state we have telephone directories which can provide essential residence information extending from before the turn of the century until about 1980. This extends the coverage provided by the census another four decades! 

Separate lists of the city directories and of the telephone directories are posted on our webpage. (We are in the process of transferring our online catalog from one utility to OCLC to make the records more accessible. We expect that transition to be completed by the end of May.  At that time we will update the catalog entries to reflect the full richness of our collection.)

We are delighted to be able to offer this unparalleled, unique resource to our members and guests and encourage you to visit now and often to make use of it.

I want to give special thanks to our devoted library team – Arlene and Ted Miles, Shirley Hoye, Gibran Rath, Kristi Wessenberg, Phil Hoehn, and Nancy Cork as well as to additional volunteers, Ted Okazaki and Todd Armstrong, for disassembling, moving and assembling shelves and moving hundreds of unwieldy, heavy volumes two, and in some cases three, times.  

           Copyright © 2015 by California Genealogical Society and Library

Mechanics Institute: Our Story

Diana Edwards with members of IOOF

CGS Board Members Todd Armstrong and Diana Edwards

Dr. Henry Snyder and Linda Harms Okazaki

         


           Copyright © 2015 by California Genealogical Society and Library

Spring Specials

Interested in volunteering at CGS? Don’t miss our 2015 Spring Specials!

By Kathleen Beitiks, Volunteer Coordinator

Photo by CGS member Jan Brandt

Spring is here – our native poppies are blooming, birds are singing (sometimes too early in the morning for me!), and the sun is warm and mellow. It’s also a time of new beginnings, new plans, and new ideas. 

At the California Genealogical Society (CGS), it’s a time to welcome new volunteers who come with fresh ideas, lots of energy, and a contagious enthusiasm for the world of ancestral mysteries.

And…if you forgot to make a New Year’s resolution, this is your chance to redeem yourself!  Donate your time and talent to CGS — become a CGS volunteer.

On our website, we maintain an ongoing list of volunteer positions that need to be filled. For our purposes this month, however, we have three jobs that we would like to highlight as our 2015 Spring Specials! Please take a look:

Tech Guy/Gal – We have a crack team of tech-savvy members who are responsible for maintaining our computer system. Maintenance is scheduled 3-4 hours on Mondays. Commitment is once a month. Training is provided. If you’ve got the skills, we’ve got the keyboards!

Wordsmiths – You love to write. You can be cryptic. You are pretty sure someday scientists will discover a writing gene in your family (wouldn’t that be fun?). Meanwhile, CGS needs: a Blog Editor (preferably who knows about “Blogger”); proofreaders; and members who have worked with publications in general. Training? Of course!

Desk Duty – Basically, this is the receptionist position in the CGS Library. And you know that receptionists rule. They are the pulse of the organization. They are the go-to-guys-or-gals. And they only have to work once a month! (Library hours: Thursday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.) A great way to get to know the ins and outs of CGS and some ancestry gossip!

Interested? Contact Kathleen Beitiks for all the details.        

Copyright © 2015 by California Genealogical Society and Library

Obāchan

May Is Asian Pacific Heritage Month
The following article celebrates the life of Japanese immigrant, Yae Takahashi

Written by guest blogger, Adelle Treakle

Yae (far left) and Takahashi Family

Picture Bride

Yae Kawakami was born in the outskirts of Tokyo, Japan, in 1889. She was my grandmother.

She was the oldest of nine, and she had a fierce, independent streak.  Yae was allowed more freedom than many girls at the time. She enjoyed riding the streetcars of Tokyo and fishing in the small streams near her home. 

As a young woman, Yae taught elementary school and was a talented artist. In her early twenties, she became a “picture bride.” Selected by her husband’s family, she was married by proxy to Yoshizumi Takahashi. As was the custom, she lived with her in-laws for a year in order to prove her worth before immigrating to the U.S. 

In 1914, she sailed alone to Seattle where she stepped off the ship, the SS Yokohama Maru, and married a man she had never met. 

Her life in America was not what she expected. Her husband was a foreman for Japanese farm workers in California’s San Joaquin Valley. She was put to work cooking for them, though she had no experience.

Yae raised seven children on a farm leased in the central California Valley. The entire family participated in the planting, harvesting, and selling of the crops, which included grapes, watermelon, and lettuce.

In 1941, her world changed forever. With the bombing of Pearl Harbor, she and her native-born children were looked at with suspicion and distrust. One of Yae’s sons joined the U.S. army within one month of the Japanese attack. The rest of the family was “evacuated” to the Poston Relocation Center in Arizona. [Editor’s note: the acceptable terminology today is incarcerated.]

They spent two years in Poston, trying to build a community out of the sand. After being released, Yae and her family farmed for a time in Utah. Eventually they resettled in California. Yae continued to paint and to watch over her growing family until her death at age 83.

Takahashi Family at Poston WRA Camp (Yae is 4th from right)

"Songbird" by Yae Kawakami Takahashi

The California Genealogical Society aims to connect people to their diverse family heritage. If you would like to contribute an article to the blog celebrating your own family history, please contact the editor. 

                 Copyright © 2015 by California Genealogical Society and Library

Internet Archive: Building Libraries Together

Internet Archive Is Coming to CGS

Robert Miller, Global Director of Digital Books and Media

Internet Archive Global Director Robert Miller is coming to CGS on May 16. Please join him in a spirited discussion of what it takes to build an end-to-end Digital Library Solution, with a deep dive in genealogy.

Miller leads Internet Archive's global eBooks digitization project. Blending his successful entrepreneurial startup experience with his tenure in the Fortune 500 world, he is a passionate advocate for public Internet access and is committed to making information free and accessible through digital means. With more than 1250 global content partners, plus teams he manages on five continents, the vision he champions has resulted in one of the largest free, digital public libraries in the world, with over 2 million eBooks online and more than 20 million downloads per month. 

Please visit our Eventbrite page to register for this class. Seats are limited. 

Copyright © 2015 by California Genealogical Society and Library

Please Pass the Salt...And Tell Us About Your Ancestors

Volunteering at genealogical societies is a time-honored tradition. In 1915, the California Genealogical Society (CGS) organized the International Congress of Genealogy, held in San Francisco. 100 years later, CGS volunteers still keep the organization thriving and alive, and carrying on the excitement of ancestral discoveries!

By CGS Volunteer Coordinator, Kathleen Beitiks 

Many years ago I was invited to a dinner party with a dozen people who worked in a variety of occupations. One of the guests was a psychologist. At some point, the conversation turned to labor and delivery stories. We all had a great time laughing at stories about the near mishaps racing to the hospital or about the doctor who thought a breech birth was imminent, only to discover that the darling bundle of joy just had a big head – like his father.

“I hope you all tell your children these stories,” said the psychologist. She then went on to tell us that in an informal survey of her clients through the years, she realized there was one common thread – very few of them had stories to tell about their own birth or heritage. 

She wasn’t sure what that meant, but she theorized that it was very important to have sense of how we came into this world and the connection to our roots with family stories – both happy and not-so-happy. 

I have thought about that evening since I began volunteering for the California Genealogical Society. There are myriad opportunities to volunteer in our community and I know many of us give our time to food banks, homeless shelters, youth activities, hospitals, and other organizations. Volunteering with CGS is one of those “intangible” activities that may not have obvious results, but does impact the human condition - helping people discover who they are and where they came from. 

Volunteer researchers at CGS have a first-hand opportunity to see the joy of discovery in the face of someone who has learned about an elusive ancestor. Our library volunteers may have a chance to help dig up an old directory that contains the address of an ancestor from 100 years ago. Our tech volunteers make the ancestor quest easier in this new cyber world. Event organizers bring experts to us – saving us time and money in our individual roots searches. Our database volunteers help keep it all organized. And I could go on and on….

The world of genealogy has expanded rapidly in the past decades. Not only are we learning about the lives, loves, and wanderings of our ancestors, but now it is possible to learn about our DNA and medical implications for our descendants. 

This may be the New Millennium, but I suspect we will be making many more new and exciting discoveries about the past and future human condition in the years to come. And CGS volunteers should know that their time and talent has contributed to the world of genealogical discoveries and progress.

April is National Volunteer Month. If you are a CGS volunteer, we salute you. You are all invaluable and we could not keep this organization alive without you!  If you are not currently a volunteer but have thought about becoming one, check out our current list of Volunteer Opportunities or send me an email (Kathleen Beitiks) and I will put you to work!

Again – I can’t say it enough - a million thanks to our loyal, dedicated CGS volunteers (and you know who you are!)

        Copyright © 2015 by California Genealogical Society and Library

Lies, Lies and Damn Lies : Can DNA Solve my Paternal Lineage?

Written by guest blogger, Jeffrey Vaillant

Join past president Jeffrey Vaillant on Saturday May 30 as he focuses first on the on the discovery of a family surname change and the research it entailed. Jeff states that, "for some 60 years I lived as a Vaillant only to learn that it ain't so paternally!" In the second part of the lecture, he focuses on the process of searching for a willing Y-DNA donor to solve his case.

Do you have a similar situation? Do you want a chance to compare notes about convincing potential cousins to take a DNA test? Jeffrey Vaillant is an engaging speaker who will entertain you with the discussion of his journey. Jeffrey currently serves as the President of the Sonoma County Genealogical Society. He is an active member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and is currently working toward his professional certification.

Please visit our Eventbrite page to sign up for this class. Seats are limited.


             Copyright © 2015 by California Genealogical Society and Library

Scots Irish Seminar with Fintan Mullan and Gillian Hunt

Copyright © 2015 by California Genealogical Society and Library

All photography courtesy of Ronald Madson

Vice President and Membership Director Diana Edwards

President Linda Harms Okazaki and Marketing Director Shannon Reese

Event Director Tim Cox, Speaker Fintan Mullan
President Linda Okazaki, Speaker Gillian Hunt

  

                   

Graphic Image Classes by the Photography Guy, Ronald Madson

Copyright © 2015 by California Genealogical Society and Library

Some of you know him as the “Photography Guy." Ronald Madson has been photographing CGS events for several years. He is also passionate about family history, his own and anyone else’s. 

Come hear Ron Madson present a series of graphic image classes this spring and summer. Sign up for one, some, or all. Learn the skills to label and clean up digitized family history photos, documents, and images. Then, learn the skills necessary to create basic Graphical Family History Charts. There are a number of image-editing software programs that allow you to do this work; Ron will teach you about three different systems, Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, and Irfanview. 

Introduction to Photoshop™ for Family History will be taught April 25, 2015. A laptop with Photoshop installed would be helpful but is not required.

Creating Graphic Family Trees With Photoshop™ will be held June 13 (new date).  

Using Photoshop Elements™ for Family History will be held May 9 and Creating Graphic Family Trees with Photoshop Elements™ will be on June 6. These sessions are similar to the classes above but using Photoshop Elements software.

Irfanview™ Basics and Creating Graphic Family Trees with Irfanview™will be taught as a single class on June 27. 

Using Family Tree Maker™ will be held on July 25. 

Please see the California Genealogical Society Events Calendar for a full list of educational offerings. Visit our Eventbrite page to register for classes and events. 

This Wed: 3/11: Spectacle, Identity & Citizenship at the PPIE- SF History Center, SF Public Library

China Day at PPIE. Courtesy SF History Center

News of a great event on the Panama-Pacific International Exposition from our friends at the San Francisco Public Library this week! Spectacle, Identity & Citizenship: Bay Area Ethnic and Racial Communities at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. 

Abigail Markwyn, historian and author of several books on Worlds Fairs, will be speaking Wednesday March 11 2015 at 6PM in the Latino/ Hispanic Community Meeting Room, Lower Level of the Main Library in San Francisco. She will discuss the ways in which local groups, including Irish, German, African American, Chinese Americans and Catholics each participated in shaping the spectacle of the fair. 

The event is Free- follow the link above or call 415.557.4277 for more information. 

Copyright © 2014 by Ellen Fernandez-Sacco, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Lisa Gorrell on the upcoming 15th Annual FHL Research Tour to SLC!

Are you considering attending the CGS trip to Salt Lake City? We’re pleased to present a brief interview with Lisa Gorrell, currently CGS' Recording Secretary, on this upcoming adventure.  The FHL is an incredible archive, with 2.4 million reels of microfilm, 727,000 microfiche, 346,000 books, 4,500 periodicals and over 3700 electronic resources. Embark on your family history research and explore new sources while accompanied by other CGS members!

The 15th Annual Family History Library Research Tour to Salt Lake City will happen April 26-May 3 2015. Lisa Gorrell is one of the leaders for this year’s visit, together with Jim Sorenson, Board Member & Chair of the CGS Research Committee. 

Lisa S. Gorrell

Why did you agree to become one of the leaders for this year’s trip? How do you see your role? 

This is Jane Lindsey's last year to lead the group and she asked me if I would like to lead to group in the future. This year I am learning the "ropes" by completing all of the behind the scenes duties. I will also be available during the trip for research help. 

Lisa, can you tell us what each level of genealogy researcher (beginner, intermediate, advanced) can gain from going to Salt Lake with CGS?:

Researchers of all levels will benefit from accompanying us on the trip. We will have expert researchers to assist individuals with research problems before and during the trip. Anyone can sign up for a pre-consultation meeting before the trip and there will be times to have consultations at the library. Also, the library has resources for all levels of researchers: books, microfilms, microfiche, computers, and classes taught during the week. The British floor and International floor have research assistants who can help translate foreign language records.

What’s the most fun you’ve had on a trip to SLC?

I always have fun on a trip to Salt Lake City. The thrill of finding new information about my ancestors, the conversations with fellow participants, and the walks through Temple Square with the lovely flowers blooming are all highlights of past trips I have made. 

If you’re interested in attending our SLC trip, you can learn more & register online: 

http://tinyurl.com/SLCFlier

Questions? 

Call CGS at (510) 663-1358 or email Lisa: lgorrell@CaliforniaAncestors.org

Copyright © 2014 by Ellen Fernandez-Sacco California Genealogical Society and Library.

Scots-Irish Seminar: Early Bird Rate extended to 2/5!

Are you among the 33.3 million people claiming Irish descent in the US? This number is seven times greater than the population of Ireland (4.6m) itself. Between 1830 to 1914, almost 5 million persons left Ireland for the US alone. 

California has 2.5 million people of Irish descent, which is the highest of any state, with a concentration of 13.3 percent in Moraga in Northern California. 

 Would you like to learn more about how to trace your Scots-Irish ancestry? Fintan Mullen & Gillian Hunt of the Ulster Historical Foundation in Belfast, Northern Ireland will be here with a full day event featuring training and tips on how to find your Scots-Irish ancestry. Established in 1956, the foundation helps people discover their Irish and Scots-Irish ancestors. 

CGS' Scots-Irish Seminar will be held on Sunday March 29, and we wanted to give you an opportunity to take advantage of the Early Bird Rate, which is extended to February 5. 

Copyright © 2014 by Ellen Fernandez-Sacco, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Wordless Wednesday

New for 2015!

Copyright © 2014 by Ellen Fernandez-Sacco, California Genealogical Society and Library.

SFPL: Personal Digital Archiving Series Jan 15 - Apr 16, 2015

The San Francisco Public Library has a new DIGI Center on the 5th Floor of the Main Library at 100 Larkin Street.  

The wonderful staff from Government Information, Magazines & Newspapers and SF History Centers are offering a series you'll be interested in at the center-- among its programs for 2015 is a Thursday evening series on Personal Digital Archiving. 

The next workshop in the series is happening Thursday 19 February 2015 from 6:30-7:30PM. 

It's free, no need to register!  For more information, contact the SFPL at 415.557.4277

Copyright © 2014 by Ellen Fernandez-Sacco, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Santa Rosa Family History Fair: this Saturday 17 January 2015

Our friends at the Sonoma County Genealogical Society are having an all day Family History Fair this weekend entitled:

Linking Generations: Who Are You Linked To?

There's no charge for the event, but you do need to register, and bring a bag lunch. Topics include getting the most out of online records, DNA, making family videos and more.  

Lots of interesting classes and skills to impart to make your family history more accessible and attractive, so you may want to head to Santa Rosa and check it out! 

Copyright © 2015 by Ellen Fernandez-Sacco, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Scots-Irish Seminar: Registration Now Open!

Do you have Scots-Irish ancestry? 

Did you believe that researching Irish ancestors is a near impossibility because of the destruction of the Public Record Office in 1922? 

Actually it's not-- and there's more.  
We have a special Irish and Scots-Irish seminar scheduled for Sunday March 29 featuring Fintan Mullen and Gillian Hunt from the Ulster Historical Foundation, one of Ireland's foremost genealogy research organizations and publishing houses. Mullen is Executive Director and Hunt is a Research Officer with the foundation.  

This all-day seminar will provide very practical and detailed information on how to trace your Irish ancestors, with a range of topics that include an introduction, overview of records and history, to solving your brick walls. 

We'll be providing additional details in future posts, but wanted to give you the opportunity to take advantage of our Early Bird Special for registration. 

Registration for our Scots-Irish Seminar is now open!


Copyright © 2015 by Ellen Fernandez-Sacco, California Genealogical Society and Library.

The Path to Becoming a Genealogy Educator: Part I

By Craig Siulinski

Since 2008, I've been on a stimulating journey to immerse myself in the ways of genealogy.  My genealogy education has included taking a series of beginner and intermediate classes through the Oakland FamilySearch Library and the California Genealogical Society.  As a member of CGS, I also attended countless presentations and workshops, and volunteered in the areas of desk duty, technology maintenance and teaching the Beginner’s class on Saturday mornings. 

All of these experiences provided far more than knowledge-- they provided opportunities for learning genealogy, both inside and outside the classroom through networking, sharing and giving back.  After gaining so much knowledge from several years of genealogy self-education and from befriending an extremely supportive researcher community, I felt confident and prepared to submit a proposal to Berkeley Adult Education in 2012 to teach a nine-week genealogy class.  Although my proposal was accepted, I did not end up teaching the class because I moved shortly thereafter to Massachusetts for a new job. 

After adjusting to my new job and community, I pulled the proposal off the shelf and prepared a one-hour genealogy talk to be delivered as a special presentation at the local senior center.  My interest was to tap the community’s interest in genealogy.  Several months earlier, I had started volunteering as the leader of the weekly iPad Club so my reputation to engage with seniors had already been established.  The talk was well received.  It was also recorded live by the local cable television network, which gave more exposure to the idea of a genealogy class.  When I was packing up my materials, I was pleased to see that ten people had signed the form I had set out to determine interest in enrolling in a future genealogy class to be held at the center.

 

Members of Craig's genealogy class in Auburn, MA. Photo: Craig Siulinski

So now I knew there were enough people who were passionate and curious about genealogy to populate a weekly class at the center.  A few months later, the class started meeting on Wednesday evenings.  After introductory discussions, the class moved right into foundation-laying genealogy lectures with homework assignments to jumpstart them into searching for home sources and starting online research.  Each week, the level of enthusiasm seemed to go higher and higher, particularly when individuals shared feedback from their initial research and from interviews with family members.  The class culminated with trips to the local library in which I was able to assist students in real time with their researching on Ancestry.com.

In Part 2 of “The Path to Becoming a Genealogy Educator”, the journey continues as I branch out to teach at an Adult Education program, and get involved in starting my own business.  I’ll also tell about a special student from my first class, to provide a highlight of the value that teaching genealogy brings. 

Copyright © 2015 by Ellen Fernandez-Sacco, California Genealogical Society and Library.

Before the Year Ends...

The roots of CGS began near the time of this photograph. Lake Merritt, 1898-1905. Image: Wikimedia Commons.  

I'd like to thank all of you who've helped CGS this year, whether you're a member, a volunteer or a board member. Mil gracias! 

Without your dedication and support, we wouldn't be able to move forward.

So, just a gentle reminder, please support CGS - if you've already donated to our Annual Appeal, thanks so much-- if you haven't yet taken the opportunity to donate for the 2014 tax year-- the year is almost over!

Donate by check or visit us online at http://www.CaliforniaAncestors.org & click “Donate.”

All my best for 2015!

Ellen Fernandez-Sacco
President, Board of Directors

Copyright © 2014 by Ellen Fernandez-Sacco, California Genealogical Society and Library.